Galeton's Early Days
In 1879, only a few hundred people lived in this area, surrounded by forested wilds. Then William McClure Gale came to town, and launched an industry that quickly transformed the region. On the land before you (now John J. Collins Memorial Park), Gale built the W. and L.R. Gale Tannery. By the 1890s, it had grown to be one of the nation's largest leather tanneries.
Around 1890, lumber companies moved into the area, followed by the Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad, and the local economy boomed. During the early 1900s, more than 4,200 people lived here. Incorporated in 1897, Galeton was named after William Gale.
Hemlock-Based Industries
The Galeton Hemlock Mill (right) sawed hemlock logs into lumber for construction timbers, boxes, shingles and lath. Note the pond in foreground, where logs were stored before milling. The Penn Tanning Company (above) depended on hemlock bark for the tannic acid needed for tannin hides. Logging railroads with specialized locomotives replaced horse-drawn log wagons, allowing lumbermen to access remote hemlock forests.
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